Arataki Visitor Centre is a tourism and education centre in

West Auckland, New Zealand {{Infobox settlement , image_skyline = Auckland, New Zealand by Planet Labs (West Auckland).jpg , image_caption = Metropolitan West Auckland captured by a Planet Labs satellite in 2016 , name = West Aucklan ...

, often described as the gateway to the

Waitākere Ranges The Waitākere Ranges is a mountain range in New Zealand. Located in West Auckland, New Zealand, West Auckland between metropolitan Auckland and the Tasman Sea, the ranges and its foothills and coasts comprise some of public and private land. ...

. The centre provides information about the

, and organises educational events.

History

The Arataki Nature Trail, located near the site of the visitor centre, was first opened in 1974. The name Arataki is a

Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...

word, meaning an "instructional path". The plant identification trail features examples of different species found in the

. The visitor centre was opened in 1994, with a design by Harry Turbott. The carved pou at the entrance of the centre depicts the ancestors of

Te Kawerau ā Maki Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Predominantly based in West Auckland (Hikurangi also known as Waitākere), it had 251 registered adult members as of J ...

, including Tiriwā (the namesake of the Waitākere Ranges name in Māori, Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa), followed by Rakatāura / Hape (

tohunga In the culture of the Māori people, Māori of New Zealand, a tohunga (tōhuka in Southern Māori dialect) is an expert practitioner of any skill or art, either religious or otherwise. Tohunga include expert priests, healers, navigators, carvers, ...

of the ''

Tainui Tainui is a tribal waka (canoe), waka confederation of New Zealand Māori people, Māori iwi. The Tainui confederation comprises four principal related Māori iwi of the central North Island of New Zealand: Hauraki Māori, Hauraki, Ngāti Maniapo ...

''),

Hoturoa According to Māori tradition, Hoturoa was the leader of the ''Tainui'' canoe, during the migration of the Māori people to New Zealand, around 1400. He is considered the founding ancestor of the Tainui confederation of tribes (iwi), who now in ...

, Maki (the namesake ancestor of Te Kawerau ā Maki) and his son and grandson. The pou was removed in 2009 due to damage to the wood, and was replaced with a new pou constructed from fallen

kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...

from the Waitākere Ranges. In late 2017, Te Kawerau ā Maki placed a rāhui on the tracks of the Waitākere Ranges, due to the effects of

Kauri dieback ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside ''Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...

on the forest, followed by a formal closure of the tracks by

Auckland Council Auckland Council () is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that also has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is a unitary authority, according to t ...

in April 2018. The upper Arataki Nature Trail was one of the first tracks to reopen after track upgrades, in May 2018.

Facility

Agathis australis at the Arataki Visitor Centre

The Arataki Visitor Centre is the start point for the Hillary Trail, a multi-day walk through the Waitākere Ranges to

Muriwai Muriwai, also called Muriwai Beach, is a coastal community on the west coast of the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. The black-sand surf beach and surrounding area is a popular recreational area for Aucklanders. The Muriwai ...

which opened in January 2010. As of 2023, the full track remains closed due to the effects of

. The centre is also the starting point for the Rangemore Track, and a five-minute educational nature walk, which explores the different forest biomes found in the Waitākere Ranges. The visitor centre is also used as a gallery space, including nature photography, and fibre installations by New Zealand weaver Maureen Lander.

References

External links

Official Facebook page
{{Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area 1994 establishments in New Zealand 1990s architecture in New Zealand Buildings and structures in Auckland Te Kawerau ā Maki Waitākere Ranges Local Board Area West Auckland, New Zealand Event venues in New Zealand Nature centers Tourist attractions in Auckland